Dead Heat in US Champs Women's 100m creates Olympic dilemma

Not sure if everyone is up to speed on this issue regarding the women's 100m at the USA championships. First three past the post get to represent USA at the Olympics. In the women's 100m there was a dead heat for third meaning there are four athletes eligible for three spots. The USA T&F are trying to work out what is the best way of splitting them to decide that third spot. What makes it even more intriguing is that both girls are coached by Bob Kersee.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/tv-showdown-mooted-for-us-sprint-queens/story-e6frg7mf-1226410314809

TV showdown mooted for US sprint queens

From: AFP
June 27, 20124:06PM


Jeneba Tarmoh, left, and Allyson Felix look on after dead-heating in the women's 100m at the US Olympic trials
in Oregon. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images


THERE are almost as many suggestions for how to settle the women's 100m mess involving Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh as there are competitors at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Felix and Tarmoh finished in a dead heat for third place, and the last London Olympic berth on offer, in Saturday's women's 100m final, a situation for which USA Track and Field had no protocols in place to handle.

Both Felix and Tarmoh will go to London as members of the US 4x100 relay pool by finishing in the two spots behind winner Carmelita Jeter, the reigning world 100m champion, and runner-up Tianna Madison in the women's 100m final.

But only one of them will have the chance to join Jeter and Madison in the women's 100 and hope to become the first US woman to win Olympic gold in the event since Gail Devers in 1996.

USA Track and Field came up with a plan signed off on by the US Olympic Committee last Sunday, allowing one athlete to drop out, both to settle the issue with a coin flip or to have a run-off to decide the berth.

Whatever option is taken must come by Sunday's conclusion of the meet, which also sees Felix and Tarmoh trying to qualify for London in the women's 200m with opening heats Thursday, semi-finals Friday and a Saturday final.

Former 100m Olympic and world champion and world record-holder Maurice Greene wants to see a made-for-television showdown run-off to bring greater attention to athletics by American audiences.

"Tell (US Olympic telecaster) NBC to give them $2 million and have a run-off," Greene said. "This will supersede every other race. This means something. It's for the last spot.

"You tell me NBC couldn't sell that to sponsors and put on a 30-minute show?"

Greene dismissed the notion of a coin flip, saying, "being an athlete, no, you don't want that."

US Olympic women's coach Amy Deem wants to let the women focus on trying to reach London in the 200 and then settle it with Bob Kersee, who coaches both Felix and Tarmoh.

"All of us need to take a step back, let them now refocus on making the team in the 200 and then let the two women and Bobby focus on that," she said. "Everything will kind of fall into place after the 200."

Some media critics have ripped into USA Track and Field for not producing better solutions to decide the issue, but Greene said the dispute is "good for the sport. It's bringing attention."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/us-track-and-field-trials-sprinters-agree-to-break-100-meter-tie-with-run-off-race/2012/07/01/gJQAnrPfGW_story.html

U.S. track and field trials: Sprinters agree to break 100-meter tie with run-off race

EUGENE, Ore. — The U.S. Olympic track and field trials will conclude Sunday with Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh still tied for third place in the 100-meter race. But the two sides agreed to compete in an unprecedented run-off race on Monday to break the tie and decide which sprinter will compete in the event at the Summer Olympics.

The run-off race will take place Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Hayward Field in Eugene. It will be televised live on NBC.

“The first person across the line makes the team,” Jill Geer, a spokeswoman for USATF, said at a Sunday afternoon news conference.

The two sprinters had been locked in a dead-heat tie for the past eight days. In the 100-meter race on June 23, a photo review showed that both Felix and Tarmoh crossed the finish line at the same time — officially in 11.068 seconds — a finish for which U.S.A. Track and Field officials were not prepared.

There were no rules in place to break such a tie, and officials took nearly 24 hours to draft a new set of procedures to determine a winner, essentially coming up with two options, based on the runners’ preferences: a run-off or a tie.

There was not a quick consensus, as the two sides met Saturday night and again for two hours on Sunday afternoon before settling on the Monday run-off.

With both Felix and Tarmoh scheduled to compete in the 200 meters — and each scheduled to run a total of six races at these trials — neither was willing to discuss the matter until the conclusion of the 200. Felix won the 200 Saturday night and the two runners, along with their coach, began meeting with USATF officials to hammer out a resolution.

While many in the track community contend a run-off would the fairest way to settle the controversy, Bobby Kersee, who coaches both sprinters, said his runners were too tired to run again this weekend. USATF had hoped to have a resolution by the conclusion of the trials on Sunday afternoon, so they could forward the names of the entire American track team to the United States Olympic Committee on Monday.

Geer said USATF’s full team would still be forwarded to the USOC late Monday, but it was more “practical” to stage the race on Monday, allowing each runner a full day of rest.

“The only thing worse than waiting too long for a run-off is having it too soon and having one of your stars get injured,” Geer said. “That would’ve been a worse scenario.”

Neither Felix nor Tarmoh expressed a preference to reporters Saturday night in how to break the tie. Felix said Saturday night that she was “physically and emotionally drained at this point,” but didn’t appear willing to concede the third-place spot in the 100.

“She worked hard, I worked hard,” Felix said. “We both are very deserving.”

The 22-year old Tarmoh finished fifth in Saturday’s 200, which means her only chance to represent the United States at the London Games is to qualify in the 100 or be selected for a relay team.

While finalizing the roster via coin toss was on the table, USATF officials said they felt it would’ve been a last-resort resolution.

“I don’t think anyone legitimately thought that it would end in a coin toss,” Geer said.